Apparatus for leaching and rinsing mercerized fabrics and recovering the lye.



1. MATTER. APPARATUS FOR LEACHING AND RINSING MERCERIZE D FABRICS AND RECOVERINFE THE LYE. 28,19l3.

APPLICKTION FILED JAN.

ted Dec. 1

5 SHEETSSH Paten INVENTOR duuua MATTER EDYfil/QMQMW! ATTORNEY J. MATTER.

I APPARATUS FOR LEACHING AND RINSING MEBCERIZED FABRICS AND RECOVERING THE LYE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.28, l9l3.

Patented D66. 19, 1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NVENTOR JULlU MATTER BY WQ-MQWLJ ATTORNEY 1 J. MATTER. V APPARATUS FOR LEACHING AND RINSING MERCERIZED FABRICS AND RECOVER I'NG THE LYE.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 2 8 i913- 1,209,465; 1 Patented Dec. 19,1916.

. x 5 SHEETS-$HEET 3.

INVENTOR Juuua MAT-r; R I

ATTORNEY J. MATTER. APPARATUS FOR LEACHING AND RINS ING MERCERIZED FABRICS AND RECOVERING THE LYE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-28, 1913.

TNVENTOR ATTORNEY J. MATTER. APPARATUS FOR LEACHING AND RINSING MERCERIZED FABRICS AND RECQVERING THE LYE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN- 28, 1913.

Patented Dec. 19, 1916.

5 SHEETSSHEET 5- E w KY R E w w N R YW N B \J A ATEIN FTCE.

JULIUS MATTER, or LYAAKEN, NEAR BARMEN-RITTEBSHAUSEN, GERMANY; ASSIGN'OR TO I. P. IBEMBERG, AKTIEN-GESELLSCHAFT, on nnnmnn-nrr'rnnsnnusnn, GER

APPARATUS FOR LEAGHING AND RINSING MERQERIZED FABRICS AND RECOVERING THE LYE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. t9, JlWlfi.

Application filed January 28, 1913. Serial No. 744,633.

. the Lye; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to an apparatus for leaching and rinsing mercerized fabrics and recovering the lye, which is designed to provide as great a condensation of the steam as possible on the surface of the fabric and a deep penetration of the condensed moisture into the interior of the threads of the fabric; this produces a rapid and complete dilution and leaching out of the lyes, acids, solutions of salts and the like therein contained. 1

According to this invention the fabrics are conducted in a zig-zag path through a steam chamber free from air and are submitted to the action of the steam and of the washing and rinsing liquid alternately. For the purpose of still further increasing'the effect of the leachingpro'cess, the fabric is cooled after each steaming action not by means of the Washing and rinsing liquid but by special rollers, which are cooled in any suitable manner, for instance by means of water. This increased effect is explained by the fact that the fabric is cooled after each steaming, without being passed through the liquid. The latter is, therefore, not allowed to form a covering film on the sides of the fabric after it has left the liquidtank, such as would prevent to a certain extent the entrance of the steam and its condensate 'into thefabric.

It is not imperative for the cooled rollers to be arranged inside the steam chamber, but on the contrary it is advisable in certain circumstances to arrange them outside the chamber, so as to prevent steam from condensing on the rollersand the rollers being heated by the steam, which would of course impair the cooling efl'ect; such arrangement also renders it possible to conduct the fabric completely out of the steam chamber, to squeeze it out by means of special rollers and then to conduct it back into the steam chamber. This will prevent the fabric from entering the steam chamber covered with a film of liquid, which would involve the abov mentioned drawbacks.

Another modification of the arrangement may be obtained by dispensin with a liquid seal for introducing the fa ric into the steam chamber and for conducting it out therefrom, the cooling rollers and also the squeezing r ollers being arranged in such a manner, that they are shut out from the steam chamber and from each' other by the fabric passing between them.

In the accompanying drawings there are illustrated by way of example several constructional forms of the present invention.

Figure 1 shows an arrangement with the cooling rollers inside the steam chamber, and liquid seals, for the entrance and exit of the fabric, the view being a section perpendicular to the axis of the cooling rollers. Fig. '2 is a section in the plane passing through the axis of the cooling rollers. Fig. 3 is a constructional form, in which the cooling rollers are cooled not only from the inside but also by liquid poured on from the outside, and thefabric leaves the steam chamber through a seal formed by squeezing rollers. Fig. 4 is a detail of the squeezing roller seal on an enlarged scale. Fig. 5 illustrates an arrangement in which the steam chamber is not provided with any sperollers on an enlarged scale.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the steam chamber 1 has cial sealing devices for the entrance and the a knife-like shape.

an inclined bottom 2, and vertical walls 3 and 4, which dip into liquids contained in the tanks 5 and 6. The chamber is closed atthe top by the roof or cover 7. In the steam 5 chamber are provided upper guide rollers 8 and bottom guide rollers 9. The latter are I made hollow and are cooled by means of water or other medium. The fabric enters 'through the liquid seal 5 and travels over 10 the guide rollers 10 to the first roller 8, then to the first cooling roller 9,.and so on, up and down through the steam chamber until it leaves the latter over a guide roller 11 and through the liquid seal 6. In its course .15 the fabric is continuously being cooled by the cold rollers 9, so that when it leaves the rollers, a large quantity of steam is condensed' in the fabric. The lye washed out by the condensed steam drips. onto the inclined bottom of the steam chamber, runs down the same and collects in the front liquid seal 5. To facilitate this dripping, strippers orwipers may be provided. As no rinsing water is employed, the lye can bBvI'GCOVGIGd. at

a very high concentration. After the fabric has left the liquid seal 6 it is passed between two squeezing rollers 12 and 13, which remove the surplus. liquid.

Figs. 3 and'4 illustrate a modified constructionalform of the arrangement hereinbefore described, in which the cooling rollers are arranged vertically, above one another. The fabric enters the apparatus through a liquid seal 14 and travels over guide rollers '35 15 to the first cooling roller 9, from the latter vover further guide rollers 15 to the next cooling roller and so on untilit'leaves the steam chamber 1 through the squeezing roller seal 16, 16. Between the guide rollers stripper blades or 'wipers 17 are provided.

The stripperblades are preferably made of The lye wiped off by them drips on to the next lower run or stretch of fabric. The lye squeezed out b '45 the rollers 16, 16 collects in the liquid tank .14, The roller 16 is journaled in a rigid manner and is packed as regards the steam ch amberby a slide 18, ground to it and moving with a steam-tight joint in a guide 19 in the wall of the steam chamber.

tween them. -For obtaining a greater coolin its course. If a specially intense cooling is required, a separate liquid pipe 25 may be provided for each roller9. a

In place of passing the fabric through seals of any kind into and from the steam chamber, it is also possible, as shown in Fig. 5, to let the fabric enter through slits 26 in the walls 3 and 4 of the steam chamber. The steam must then be introduced at a small pressure above that of the atmospheric air at the slits 26. The spaces between the rollers 8 and 9 are-closed by intermediate walls 2 which approach comparatively closely to the bottom of the steam chamber and the rollers. The steamenters through a pipe 28 at the end of the steam chamber, travels in the same zig-zag path as the fabric, being guided by the walls 27, and leaves through the pipe 29. The liquid which drips oif collects in the tank 30 serving as seal.

In the constructional form shown in Figs. 6 and ,7, only guide rollers 31, 32, 33 and 34 are provided, in the steam chamber 1, while the cooling rollers 35 are arranged outside the steam chamber. At the sides of each roller are circular jointing pieces or cheeks 36 (Fig. 7-) and a squeezing roller 37 may be arranged above each of the rollers 35, the squeezing rollers being pivoted on a pin 38 under action of aweight 39. The cheeks 36 are hollow and are cooled with water. The

fabric enters through a liquid seal 40 overv a guide'roller' 41 into the steam chamber,

travels over the guide roller 31, through a slot 42 (,Fig. 7) in the front wall of the steam chamber, then between the lower jointing piece 36 and the first cooling roller 35, around the circumference ofthe roller, underneath the squeezing roller 37 and between the cooling roller and the upper cheekpiece 36 back into the steam chamber on to v the next guide roller .32, and so on' until it leaves the steam chamber, passing over the upper cooling roller 35, over the guide rollers 33 and 34, through the liquid seal 43 and. over-the guide roller 44. Theliquid. which is absorbed by the fabric during its passage through the liquid seal 43 is removed by a i '55 (Fig. 4) with discharge pipe 24. The liquid I squeezed off collects in this trough and forms 60 chamber and it finally collects in the seal 14.

pair of squeezing rollers 45, 46.. In passing over each of the cooling rollers, the fabric is cooled both by the roller itself and by the cheek-pieces 3536, and at the same time the liquid absorbed is removed by the 'squeez-- iing'rollers and the cheek-piece 36 and al- I a seal for the roller 16 as regards the steam '.chamber. As already stated the surplus liquid runs down the bottom'of the steam The end-faces of the rollers are closed by means of suitable packing toward the steam chamber. The joint between the rollers them- "selves is produced by the fabricpassing belowed to drip on to the next lower pair of rollers. Cooledin this manner and without any adhering-liquid, the fabric returns after traveling around one of the cooling rollers.

back into the steam chamber, .so that the steam will be strongly condensed on it, and

This

the fabric will be .Well washed out. washing out is assisted by the liquidwhich dripsdown from the higher cheek-pieces 36 continually increasin its content of lye on the way. Instead of being placed vertically one above another, the rollers 35 may be arranged beside one another or below the steam chamber.

As has been marks, it is desirable for producing a maximum condensation to introduce the fabric in as dry a condition as p0ssible into the steam chamber. :This is obtained in the form of apparatus shown in Figs. 8 and 10 by the fabric being sent into and withdrawn from the steam chamber through pairs of cooling and squeezing rollers 47 48 respectively. This will obviate the saturation of the fabric with liquid which is unavoidable with a liquid seal; and as'the fabric enters the steam chamber 1 in an already cooled condition, this also will allow of an effective condensation. As shown in Fig. 8, the arrangement is such that the whole front wall from the mercerizing machine, supposed to be situated at the left enters between the rollers of the lowermost pair 47 48, travels over the first guide roller 49 to the next higher pair of rollers and so on, until it leaves through the uppermost pair of rollers. The pairs of rollers are so arranged, as in the form according to Figs. 6 and 7, that one of the rb-llers, viz. the lower one 47, is a rigidly journaled cooling roller, while the upper roller 48, which is the squeezing roller proper, is journaled in a displace-able manner and bears upon the lower roller either by its dwn weight, or under a suitable load as described with reference to Fig. 7. The upper roller,-however, may be made to serve as a cooling roller.

Inorder to form the joint, the upper roller of each pair isprovided with a slide 50, which is ground on to the roller like the slide 16 in Fig. 3. This slide 50 is dis placeably fitted in a jointed guide 51, (Fig. 10), so that it can always adapt itself to the roller if the latter should become untrue or 1 eccentric. With the exception of the lower- A I The fabric entering from the left and most one, the roller 47 of which dips into a next pair of rollers.

said in the introductory re-,

saturated with lye is at its entrance into the apparatus freed from the adhering liquid and at the same time cooled by the rollers. of the lowermost device 47, 48. The liquid pressed out runs off the roller 47 and mixes with the liquid in the seal 52 while the fabric passes over the roller 49 to the During this travel it becomes saturated with liquid, as the steam in the steam chamber condenses upon it. From the roller 49 it runs first over a guide roller 55 arranged in front of the pair of rollers 47 48, then around the underside of the roller 47 next between the rollers 47 and 48" and so on to the next guide roller 49.

The liquid expressed collects in the trough 53 and thus forms with -the roller 47 a liquid seal against the steam chamber, while the upper roller 48 is made tight as already described by the slide 50, and the joint between the rollers themselves is produced by the fabric. Any surplus of liquid in the troughs 53 is removed through the pipes 54. In the manner described the fabric travels through the whole steam chamber, absorbing liquid and being again freed therefrom and cooled in, regular phases, finally leaving the steam chamber by passing between the rollers of the uppermost pair 47 48.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for leaching and rinsing mercerized fabrics and recovering the lye, a steam chamber, devices for guiding the fabrics into, through and out of said steam chamber, certain of said devices being adapted to cool said fabrics alternately with the steaming thereof on their way through said steam chamber.

2. In an apparatus for leaching and rinsing mercerized fabrics and recovering the lye, a steam chamber, devices for guiding the fabrics into, through and out of said steam chamber,certain of said devices being adapted to cool said fabrics alternately With the steaming thereon on. their way through said steam chamber, and certain of said devices being adapted to remove from said fabrics the liquid they carry.

3. In an apparatus for leaching and rins ing mercerized fabrics and recovering the lye, a steam chamber, devices for guiding the fabrics into, through and out of said steam chamber, certain of said devices comprising cooling rollers adapted to cool said fabrics alternately with steaming them on their way through said steam chamber and certain of the devices comprising squeezing rollers for removing from said fabrics the liquid they carry.

- 4. In an apparatus for leaching and rinsing mercerized fabrics and recovering the lye, a steam chamber, cooling rollers over which the fabrics are guided and squeezing rollers for removing from said fabrics the liquid they carry, said cooling rollers belng arranged in one of the walls of said steam arranged in one of the walls of said steam roller seal for chamber in such a manner that the steam 7 contained in said steam chamber has access to thatpart of their surfaces which is directed toward said steam chamber, and a guiding said fabrics into said steam chamber.

6. In an apparatus for leaching and rinsing mercerized fabrics and recovering the lye, a steam chamber, cooling rollers over which the fabrics are guided, squeezing rollers for removing from said fabrics the liquid they carry, said cooling rollers being arranged in one of the walls of said steam chamber in such a manner that the steam contained in said steam chamberhas access to that part of their surfaces which is directed toward said steam chamber, and means for directing the liquid removed from said fabrics to the outside of said steam chamber.

' 7. In an apparatus for leaching and rinslye, a steam chamber, coolin mg mercerized fabrics and recovering the: lye, a steam chamber, cooling rollers over which the fabrics are guided, squeezing rollers for removing from said fabrics the liquid they carry, said cooling rollers being arranged in one of the walls of said steam chamber in such a manner thatthe steam contained in said steam chamber has access to thatpart of their surfaces which isdirected toward said steam chamber, means for directing the liquid removed from said fabrics to the outside of said steam chamber, and a roller seal for guiding said fabrics into said steam chamber.

8. In an apparatus for leaching and rins ing mercerized fabrics and recovering the lye, a steam chamber, cooling rollers cooling said fabrics and a roller seal for guiding said fabrics into said steam chamber.

9. In an apparatus for leaching and rinsing mercerized fabrics and recovering the rollers for cooling said fabrics, means or removing from said fabrics the liquid they carry, and a roller seal for guiding said fabrics into said steam chamber.

10. In an apparatus for leaching and rinsing mercerized fabrics and recovering Q the lye, a steam chamber, means for guiding the fabrics into said steam chamber, means for intermittently cooling said fabthe lye, a steam chamber, means for intermittently cooling said fabrics, means for re moving from said fabrics the liquid they carry, and a roller seal for guiding said fabrics into said steam chamber, the bottom roller of said seal being carried on a weighted lever and provided with a trough" adapted' to form a liquid seal, the top roller of said seal being arranged 'in fixed bearings and having a slide ground onto its surface making a tight fit with the walls of said steam chamber.

12. In an apparatus for leaching and V rinsing mercerized fabrics and recovering the lye, a steam chamber, means for guiding the fabrics into said steam' chamber,

means for intermittently cooling said fab rics, means for removing from said fabrics the liquid they carry, and a roller seal for guiding said fabrics out of said steam chamber, the bottom roller of. said seal. being carried on a weighted lever and provided with a trough adapted to form a liquid seal, the top roller being arranged in fixed bearings and having a slide-ground on to its surface making a tight fit with the walls of said steam chamber.

13. In an apparatus for leaching and rinsing mercerized fabrics'and recovering the lye, a steam chamber, cooling rollers 'over which the fabrics are guided and squeezing rollers for removing from said fabrics the liquid they carry, said cooling rollers being arranged vertically above each other, and in such a manner that they form one of the walls of said steam chamber.

14:. In an apparatus for leaching and rinsing mercerized fabrics and recovering the lye, a steam chamber, cooling rollers over which the fabrics are guided and squeezing rollers for removing from said fabrics the liquid they carry, said cooling rollers being arranged vertically above each other, and in such a manner thatthey form one of the walls of said steam chamber, and a roller seal for guiding the fabrics into said steam chamber.

15;In an apparatus for leaching and rinsing mercerized fabrics and recovering the lye, a steam chamber, cooling rollers over which the fabrics are guided and squeezing rollers for removing from said fabrics the liquid they carry, said cooling rollers being arranged vertically above each other and in such; a manner that they form one of the walls of said steam chamber, and means for directing theliquid removed from said fabrics to the outside of said steam chamber.

16. In an apparatus for leaching and from said fabrics to the outside of said rinsing mercerized fabrics and recovering steam chamber, and a roller seal for guiding the lye, a steam chamber, cooling rollers said fabrics into said steam chamber. over which the fabrics are guided and In testimony whereof, I have signed my squeezin rollers for removing from said name to this specification in the presence of 15 fabrics t e liquid they carry, said cooling two subscribing Witnesses,

rollers being arranged vertically above each JULIUS MATTER. [1 s.] other and in such a manner that they form Witnesses: one of the Walls of said steam chamber, and ALBERT NUFER,

10 means for directing the liquid removed JULIUS FESTNER. 

